Fluffy buns?

That's right... fluffy. buns. I'm talking about Cloth Diapers (CD) people! All-in-Ones, Pockets, Prefolds, Covers, detergent, wipes..... where the hell do you start! Well let me make it simple for you - there is no right or wrong way to cloth diaper! Every baby is different and every brand has something else to offer so I can't tell you which ones you should or shouldn't use. I would say that I couldn't tell you to use them at all but I am just going to say it - you have to be pretty lazy to not cloth diaper. What really is the difference between throwing a diaper in the trash and throwing it in the washer? Oh wait, that's right... the difference is one goes to a landfill and sits there for basically forever and one is simply washed, dried, reused (sometimes for more than one purpose!) and maybe even put away and saved for the next baby! Opposer's to cloth diapering have a few common "excuses" to not use cloth diapers and these usually include the start up cost, the "difficulty" and the gross factor. So first off, that start up price is as high or as low as you want it to be! And it will more than make up for itself in the long run. We've invested about $350 in diapers and Mr (the mathematician of the family) has factored that when Baby is 3.5 months old we will break even and every month after that is just free diapers! Secondly, What's so hard, you put it on, take it off, and wash! Tada, you're done! Nothing fancy. Cloth diapers have come a LONG way since our grandma's day... gone are the days of pins and complicated folding and here now are the days of snappies and pockets and aplix closures! And lastly the gross factor, it isn't that bad! And there are SO many ways to keep the grossness at bay but we'll get into that later.

Ok, now that you have chosen to use cloth diapers (because its easier, cheaper, better for baby and the environment blah blah blah) where do you get started? You don't need to make a major life changing decision right away! It can be a bit overwhelming out there... SO many brands, SO many options, SO many different kinds! So think about it, what is important for you? Do you want something you can just put on and take off and move on? Then AIOs (All in one) are for you! But be prepared to deal with long drying times! Because the soakers are sewn into the diaper they will take a bit longer to dry. Do you have a few kids in diapers... maybe one heavy wetter and one not so heavy? Then Pockets may be your solution! You can customize them by stuffing each one differently. Most pocket diapers come with their own inserts but you can honestly use anything as an insert! But what if you want to be able to go between disposable and washable? Maybe a hybrid system for you. Gro-via and G-diapers are hybrid systems but you don't even need to do anything too fancy for that kind of option. The great thing about a hybrid system is how flexible it is! But perhaps you are just flat out broke... No problem! Prefolds and covers remain the most popular cloth diapering technique today! And most diaper brand out there are found in a one-size-fits-all (OS) option which can be a tad bulky on teeny babies but they will be most value for your dollar. Or you can buy specific sizes. Still not sure which is best for you? NO PROBLEM!!! You don't have to only use one kind of diaper! Don't put all your eggs in one basket until you are sure you really like them... and even then, you may grow out of those and start to prefer a different kind!

So now you have a better idea of what diaper system you are going for but what about maintenance? Well, there are lots of different cloth diaper specific detergents... the most popular being Rockin' Green or Tiny Bubbles. But you don't need complicated fancy detergent. Here's a site that tells you which detergents are good and which to avoid. http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm You can look up your detergent and see how it ranks in the cloth diaper realm. Now, aside from detergent just how do you wash cloth diapers? Well, if you are exclusively breastfeeding, like me, then all you do is drop everything in the washer, run a rinse cycle followed by a wash (temperatures depend on the type of fabric used in your diapers... did I forget to mention, you can get natural fibers-like wool, hemp, cotton and bamboo or manufactured fibers like polyester found in microfiber and microfleece) But for those with non-breast fed poop there is an extra step... but is it really extra? Look on your package of 'sposies... it says to dump the "solids" into the toilet doesn't it! So what do you do? Shake it out, dunk in the toilet, get a sprayer attachment... you can even get flushable diaper liners that let pee seep through but hold the poop so you just lift out the liner and flush! Then toss the diaper in the diaper pail. And speaking of diaper pail what do you do about that? Where do the diapers go when they are dirty? Well that's up to you! For me, we use a little trash can... nothing fancy, doesn't even have a lid. But you may want a pail with a liner and a lid and the whole nine yards. So how often do you wash? Well that too depends on you! How many diapers do you have in your stash? I have enough diapers for about 42 diaper changes which should get me through 3 days or so but honestly I am doing a load of "spit up" laundry or something every day anyway so I throw diapers in. I just put those in first run the rinse and then add my other stuff. And honestly it helps me keep up with all the laundry in the house doing it that way! You will need about 8-12 diapers for a day. But for newborns you may need more.

Now, my life with full time cloth diapering... I am VERY happy with my choice! I feel like I am doing my part, my baby is happy and clean and so far no rashes, and it really is easy! I have a combination of pockets, AIO, and prefolds with covers. Again, cloth diapering is all what you make it but for me my favorites have to be my prefolds and covers. And really if I had known how much more I would have liked these I would have invested maybe half of what I did. SO I will sell the stuff I don't use and maybe get more of what I do use. I have Rumparooz pockets and Lil Joeys and Thirsties duo wrap covers and some Diaper Rite prefolds (found at www.diaperjunction.com) and I also made some hemp/organic cotton prefolds. I will write a blog on how to do that later. I'd like to give the gro-via disposable biosoakers a try but honestly I take cloth with me when out and about anyway. Oh yea and I don't have a wet bag. I might make one but I haven't been able to justify buying one... I can just use my old food store plastic bags for now. Prefolds and covers are great for going out because I don't need to carry a million puffy diapers around with me... instead just an extra cover and several prefolds and I am good to go!

And for those who really want to reduce and reuse what about cloth mommy pads? Well I haven't had a cycle since January 2010 when I conceived but before then I used the Diva Cup (www.divacup.com) And I love that! It take a couple times to get it right but once you do its just as comfortable as a tampon! But some mommies choose to use cloth pads. Why not? Really what is the difference between washing a pad specifically meant for that purpose and your favorite pair of undies that you soak in detergent and desperately attempt to save? Nothing... they both have blood but one of them is meant to. Anywho that's my two cents on that! I will say though, one cloth thing you can't live without (if you are a breastfeeding mommy like me!) is cloth bra pads! And let me recommend hemp ones! Hemp is naturally antimicrobial so it combats mold and sour milk smells and such... which if you have ever worn the same pair of disposable bra pads for an entire day you know what smell I am talking about!

So give it a shot guys! Even if you only use one cloth diaper a day, that's one less in the landfill and more money in your pocket!